Quick answer
Going part-time usually cuts your take-home by less than your hours, because the first £12,570 of pay is tax-free. Three days a week on a £32,000 job pays £19,200 a year, about £17,344 after tax and NI: 65% of the full-time take-home for 60% of the hours.
How the three calculations fit together
- Pro-rata pay: the full-time salary × your hours ÷ full-time hours. (Pro-rata calculator)
- Take-home: income tax, National Insurance, student loan and pension on that pro-rata pay, at 2026/27 rates. (Take-home pay calculator)
- Holiday: 5.6 weeks × your days a week, in days and hours. (Holiday entitlement calculator)
The same tested rules power all four calculators, so the numbers match wherever you check them. See how we calculate.
Worked example: 3 days a week on £32,000
A £32,000 job with a 37.5-hour week, offered at 22.5 hours over 3 days, in England, with no pension or student loan:
- Pro-rata salary: £19,200 (60% of full-time)
- Take-home: £17,344 a year, against £26,560 full-time
- Holiday: 16.8 days (126 hours)
- Hourly rate: £16.41, well above the £12.71 National Living Wage
You'd work 60% of the hours for 65% of the full-time take-home, because a larger share of the lower salary falls inside the tax-free personal allowance.
Things to check before you accept
- Which full-time hours the salary is based on (35, 37.5 or 40). It changes your pay.
- Bank holidays: whether they're included in your holiday or on top, and how they're pro-rated.
- Pension: whether you'll still be auto-enrolled, and what the employer adds.
- Second job: if you'll have two jobs, check your tax codes so your allowance isn't used twice or missed.
Part-time workers' rights
Part-time workers should not be treated less favourably than comparable full-timers: the same hourly rate, the same access to training and pensions, and holiday in proportion to their hours.
Sources: gov.uk part-time worker rights · gov.uk minimum wage rates · gov.uk workplace pensions · gov.uk tax codes